I was trapped with two werewolves who looked like they'd sooner eat me than let me go on my merry way. For the first time since I'd arrived at the mansion, I wished I had guards trailing my every move. "I really think I should be going back inside. Lucy will be expecting me." I tried to step around Alexander, all the while hoping he wouldn't spot my lie. Lucy had told me to take the whole afternoon and enjoy the garden. She was too nice to me and right now it would have helped if she'd been just a bit more demanding. "But we're just getting acquainted, aren't we Beatrice?" Alexander's voice dripped with sarcasm. I looked over his shoulder at his female friend, who looked totally disinterested. She in no way wanted to get to know me better. The feeling was entirely mutual. "I'm sure we can find another time when I don't have somewhere else to be," Was my pleasant reply. I was lying again, but it seemed like the smart thing to do. "I think now is the perfect time for us to get to
Dawn. A time of day so many people think is beautiful, a time of day that poems are written about. Me? I hated it. For me, dawn meant that I was already halfway late for work and since I also hated work dawn was about the most overrated time of day ever. The warehouse rose in front of me, its dull grey walls matching my mood perfectly. In fact this whole section of town reflected my early morning feelings. The slightly crumbling buildings were tired and in need of some love and care and the weeds fighting to grow through the cracks in the concrete were struggling to reach the sunlight. Sighing I pushed my depressing thoughts aside, straightened my shoulders and entered the building. “You're late. Again.” I winced at the grating voice of my supervisor, Mrs Fisher, who always seemed to hover right by the entrance. All the better to catch the latecomers. "I'll be docking the time from your paycheck this week." The small woman glared at me for a moment longer before scurrying off to b
This wasn’t fun. The music was too loud, the room was too crowded and there were too many werewolves standing way too close to me. I knew it was a bad idea and yet I’d still let myself be talked into it. Corrine hadn’t let up on me, she’d kept on and on until the easiest thing had been to give in and agree to her plans for my birthday. I’d learned my lesson, never again would Corrine get to decide our weekend plans. “Isn’t this amazing?” My blonde-haired friend bounced up to me, drink in hand and a huge grin on her face. “I’m so glad you agreed to come.” “It sure is different.” I just about managed to turn my lips up into a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “How long do you want to stay for?” “We just got here, Ruby. Relax, have a drink and try and enjoy yourself.” She shoved her glass into my hand and stared at me until I’d taken a sip. Nodding she turned and headed back towards the bar. I should have known the night wasn’t going to go well when Corrine’s ‘friend’ had turne
My first ever ride in a luxury car and I was too paralysed by fear to properly enjoy it. They could have flung me on the back of a donkey, and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. I didn’t register the buttery-soft leather seats, or the gentle purr of the engine. My attention was too focused on the two male wolves in the front seats of the car. I’d been escorted out of the bar by the King’s lackey and shoved into the backseat. No one spoke a word to me, and his royal arrogant-ness was nowhere to be seen, instead, it was just me, the driver and the blonde-haired servant. “Where are we going?” An obvious question, but relevant I thought. “Not your business,” my new nemesis answered. “Of course not,” I muttered under my breath, although with their enhanced hearing I was pretty sure the two men heard me loud and clear. “Why am I here?” “Not your business.” I hated him with a burning passion. “When can I go home? Wait,” I held up a hand,
As I left my audience with the King of idiots my head was spinning. I had way more questions than answers and I had no idea when, or if, I’d ever get a real explanation. Clearly Mr ‘Obey Me’ didn’t think I was worth giving any answers to, and there was no way I was going to try and ask my escort as I was sure he considered it ‘not my business’. Of course, why would the direction of my life be my business? I hated werewolves. I silently followed Jace through the corridors of the massive house. Through open doorways that we passed I could see groups of people watching me with open curiosity, obviously they had no idea what was going on either. I wish that made me feel slightly better, but at this point there was nothing short of waking up and finding out this was all a nightmare that would help. We reached a sweeping staircase, with polished wooden bannisters and thick, deep, red carpet running up the centre. Propped up against one of the posts was yet another large, m
This room was my nightmare. It didn’t matter that the sky-blue curtains perfectly framed the view out across the beautiful gardens. The amazing bed that hugged me like a gentle lover was now the place I dreaded most. It was where all my nightmares played out and where I saw my long, lonely future stretching before me. I didn’t care that I was warm and comfortable and well-fed. The hot water and soft, fluffy towels meant nothing. All the comforts in the world couldn’t replace the smile of a good friend, the freedom to go wherever I chose or the joy that my life was my own and my choices were my own.I sat staring out of the window, trying to imagine myself walking across the lush green grass, inhaling the scents of spring. This was how I coped with my confinement, imagining myself anywhere but stuck in this room.As I gazed out of my sole connection to the outside world, I heard the now familiar click of the lock. My pulse began to race, this wasn’t the usual time my food was delivered
Today was the day I was finally free of my prison. Following along behind Jace, I continued to marvel at the sheer size and luxury of the mansion. It was good to be King. We eventually came to a stop outside a pair of large, wooden, double doors and my sense of excitement rose. This was the day I was going to actually get to speak to another person, even if the librarian was a werewolf, I didn't care. I was just looking forward to any kind of conversation. Jace pushed open the doors and I almost sprinted past him, so eager was I to get into a new room. I stepped in and froze in wonder at the floor-to-ceiling shelves of books as far as the eye could see. Directly in front of me was an open space where a long, polished, wooden table and chairs sat in front of a large stone fireplace. It was beautiful. Behind the table rows and rows of bookshelves ran to the back of the room. They looked like the perfect place to find a quiet spot to hide away in with a good book. "The librarian will b
Knowledge was power, or at least it was useful. In just about a week of studying with Lucy, I'd learned more than I thought possible about werewolves and their ways. I now knew about their history, how they came to rule, and how the pack system worked. Oddly, so far Lucy hadn't included anything about their weaknesses, but I lived in hope. I hated to admit it but it was all pretty fascinating. "Are you sure humans used to rule the Earth? I find that super hard to believe." I liked the idea, but it really didn't sound right to me. "That's what the history books say." Lucy glanced up from the manuscript she was reading. "I mean, it was centuries ago, but still, humans were definitely in charge for a while." "Sounds like paradise to me." "I bet, while us wolves had to hide in the shadows. Hard to imagine." A frown marred her kind face. My new friend may have found it hard to picture a time when humans were dominant, but my imagination ran wild at the thought. If humans were on top,
I was trapped with two werewolves who looked like they'd sooner eat me than let me go on my merry way. For the first time since I'd arrived at the mansion, I wished I had guards trailing my every move. "I really think I should be going back inside. Lucy will be expecting me." I tried to step around Alexander, all the while hoping he wouldn't spot my lie. Lucy had told me to take the whole afternoon and enjoy the garden. She was too nice to me and right now it would have helped if she'd been just a bit more demanding. "But we're just getting acquainted, aren't we Beatrice?" Alexander's voice dripped with sarcasm. I looked over his shoulder at his female friend, who looked totally disinterested. She in no way wanted to get to know me better. The feeling was entirely mutual. "I'm sure we can find another time when I don't have somewhere else to be," Was my pleasant reply. I was lying again, but it seemed like the smart thing to do. "I think now is the perfect time for us to get to
The longer I was held hostage by the werewolves the more I began to question my previous judgements of them. I wasn’t suddenly a convert, but maybe I didn’t feel quite so negative about them, at least not all of them. All my life I’d simply seen werewolves as a single mass of beings that I hated, they lorded it over humans and didn’t care what our lives were like under their rule. I was starting to wonder if assuming they were all exactly the same was a mistake. I mean humans aren’t so why should wolves be? There were plenty of humans I didn’t like, Mrs Fisher wasn’t a favourite, but there were loads I loved, and that meant that maybe the same could be said for my wolf kidnappers. Maybe.Today was freedom day, well the closest to freedom I’d been for weeks. Today I got to go outside and breathe in the fresh air in the gorgeous, green surroundings of the garden. After Clayton had granted me permission to leave the confines of the mansion I’d spent the entire night convinced I’d wake up
Knowledge was power, or at least it was useful. In just about a week of studying with Lucy, I'd learned more than I thought possible about werewolves and their ways. I now knew about their history, how they came to rule, and how the pack system worked. Oddly, so far Lucy hadn't included anything about their weaknesses, but I lived in hope. I hated to admit it but it was all pretty fascinating. "Are you sure humans used to rule the Earth? I find that super hard to believe." I liked the idea, but it really didn't sound right to me. "That's what the history books say." Lucy glanced up from the manuscript she was reading. "I mean, it was centuries ago, but still, humans were definitely in charge for a while." "Sounds like paradise to me." "I bet, while us wolves had to hide in the shadows. Hard to imagine." A frown marred her kind face. My new friend may have found it hard to picture a time when humans were dominant, but my imagination ran wild at the thought. If humans were on top,
Today was the day I was finally free of my prison. Following along behind Jace, I continued to marvel at the sheer size and luxury of the mansion. It was good to be King. We eventually came to a stop outside a pair of large, wooden, double doors and my sense of excitement rose. This was the day I was going to actually get to speak to another person, even if the librarian was a werewolf, I didn't care. I was just looking forward to any kind of conversation. Jace pushed open the doors and I almost sprinted past him, so eager was I to get into a new room. I stepped in and froze in wonder at the floor-to-ceiling shelves of books as far as the eye could see. Directly in front of me was an open space where a long, polished, wooden table and chairs sat in front of a large stone fireplace. It was beautiful. Behind the table rows and rows of bookshelves ran to the back of the room. They looked like the perfect place to find a quiet spot to hide away in with a good book. "The librarian will b
This room was my nightmare. It didn’t matter that the sky-blue curtains perfectly framed the view out across the beautiful gardens. The amazing bed that hugged me like a gentle lover was now the place I dreaded most. It was where all my nightmares played out and where I saw my long, lonely future stretching before me. I didn’t care that I was warm and comfortable and well-fed. The hot water and soft, fluffy towels meant nothing. All the comforts in the world couldn’t replace the smile of a good friend, the freedom to go wherever I chose or the joy that my life was my own and my choices were my own.I sat staring out of the window, trying to imagine myself walking across the lush green grass, inhaling the scents of spring. This was how I coped with my confinement, imagining myself anywhere but stuck in this room.As I gazed out of my sole connection to the outside world, I heard the now familiar click of the lock. My pulse began to race, this wasn’t the usual time my food was delivered
As I left my audience with the King of idiots my head was spinning. I had way more questions than answers and I had no idea when, or if, I’d ever get a real explanation. Clearly Mr ‘Obey Me’ didn’t think I was worth giving any answers to, and there was no way I was going to try and ask my escort as I was sure he considered it ‘not my business’. Of course, why would the direction of my life be my business? I hated werewolves. I silently followed Jace through the corridors of the massive house. Through open doorways that we passed I could see groups of people watching me with open curiosity, obviously they had no idea what was going on either. I wish that made me feel slightly better, but at this point there was nothing short of waking up and finding out this was all a nightmare that would help. We reached a sweeping staircase, with polished wooden bannisters and thick, deep, red carpet running up the centre. Propped up against one of the posts was yet another large, m
My first ever ride in a luxury car and I was too paralysed by fear to properly enjoy it. They could have flung me on the back of a donkey, and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. I didn’t register the buttery-soft leather seats, or the gentle purr of the engine. My attention was too focused on the two male wolves in the front seats of the car. I’d been escorted out of the bar by the King’s lackey and shoved into the backseat. No one spoke a word to me, and his royal arrogant-ness was nowhere to be seen, instead, it was just me, the driver and the blonde-haired servant. “Where are we going?” An obvious question, but relevant I thought. “Not your business,” my new nemesis answered. “Of course not,” I muttered under my breath, although with their enhanced hearing I was pretty sure the two men heard me loud and clear. “Why am I here?” “Not your business.” I hated him with a burning passion. “When can I go home? Wait,” I held up a hand,
This wasn’t fun. The music was too loud, the room was too crowded and there were too many werewolves standing way too close to me. I knew it was a bad idea and yet I’d still let myself be talked into it. Corrine hadn’t let up on me, she’d kept on and on until the easiest thing had been to give in and agree to her plans for my birthday. I’d learned my lesson, never again would Corrine get to decide our weekend plans. “Isn’t this amazing?” My blonde-haired friend bounced up to me, drink in hand and a huge grin on her face. “I’m so glad you agreed to come.” “It sure is different.” I just about managed to turn my lips up into a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “How long do you want to stay for?” “We just got here, Ruby. Relax, have a drink and try and enjoy yourself.” She shoved her glass into my hand and stared at me until I’d taken a sip. Nodding she turned and headed back towards the bar. I should have known the night wasn’t going to go well when Corrine’s ‘friend’ had turne
Dawn. A time of day so many people think is beautiful, a time of day that poems are written about. Me? I hated it. For me, dawn meant that I was already halfway late for work and since I also hated work dawn was about the most overrated time of day ever. The warehouse rose in front of me, its dull grey walls matching my mood perfectly. In fact this whole section of town reflected my early morning feelings. The slightly crumbling buildings were tired and in need of some love and care and the weeds fighting to grow through the cracks in the concrete were struggling to reach the sunlight. Sighing I pushed my depressing thoughts aside, straightened my shoulders and entered the building. “You're late. Again.” I winced at the grating voice of my supervisor, Mrs Fisher, who always seemed to hover right by the entrance. All the better to catch the latecomers. "I'll be docking the time from your paycheck this week." The small woman glared at me for a moment longer before scurrying off to b